1. NordForsk’s priorities and Education for Tomorrow
Riitta Mustonen 17 June 2013

2. Outline of presentation
What is NordForsk?
Education for tomorrow at NordForsk
Further developments

3. NordForsk
Established by the NCM in 2005 to implement one pillar of NORIA
NORIA = Nordic Research and Innovation Area
The other pillar is Nordic Innovation
We are located at The Nordic Centre together with Nordic Innovation and Nordic Energy Research.

4. What is NordForsk?
NordForsk is a platform for joint Nordic research and research policy development in the Nordic countries.
The aim of the organisation is to facilitate cooperation in all fields of research when this adds value to work being conducted nationally.
Its main stakeholders are the national research financing bodies in the five Nordic Countries.
Basic funding is provided by the Nordic Council of Ministers and additional funding by stakeholders especially the Research Councils in the different countries.

5. NordForsk Strategy 2011-2014 NordForsk’s main collaboration areas:
Research funding
Research infrastructure cooperation
Policy analysis
European cooperation
Communication of Nordic research cooperation

6. Funding of Research cooperation
Initiate and participate in long-term multidisciplinary research programmes responding to the grand challenges of our time
Several programmes, co-funded with the Nordic countries
Establish Nordic Centres of Excellence
Several programmes in climate change research, health and welfare and education
Create critical mass in research areas of considerable importance and future potential

7. Policy developments
NordForsk signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the EC in This MoU declares NordForsk’s commitment to the implementation of ERA.
NordForsk has adopted two policies in 2013 which aim at guaranteeing the quality of the research we fund:
Open access policy
Gender policy

8. Education for tomorrow
Initiated by the ministers in all Nordic countries.
The political interest in the programme is substantial
In addition, Education for tomorrow is a natural extension of our recently finalized programme in Welfare Research
During the period NordForsk funded two Nordic Centres of Excellence in Welfare Research.
NCoE Reassess: Reassessing the Nordic Welfare Model
NCoE NordWel:The Nordic Welfare State - historical foundations and future challenges

9. Education and Welfare
The Nordic programme Education for tomorrow seeks to find knowledge about how our educational policies should be developed to meet the challenges of the future. It is clearly future oriented. It is clear and logical continuation of our previous focus on the welfare state and the importance of education in developing the Nordic welfare states. This historical research give a solid base for the understanding of the role of education for the development of society and citizenship. We therefore look forward to the results of the newly funded research to give us some indication of the demands of education in the future.

10. Potential further developments 1/2
Education in the Artic NordForsk Board has decided on a Nordic programme on the Artic. In the Programme memorandum the need for knowledge and innovation on the demands on education in the Artic is also mentioned. Together with the co-funding bodies this programme memorandum will be developed further. Education and Societal Security The interdisciplinary programme addresses questions of vulnerabilities, resilience and capabilities for crisis management related to prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Questions regarding education, integration, cultural and social developments closely linked to questions of societal security.

11. Potential further developments 2/2
Nordic-Russian cooperation
Possibilities for an internal call for proposals to corporate with Russian partners.
Decision on this will be made during autumn 2013 and the call issued before the end of the year.
Data management and open access
The Steering committee has asked NordForsk to look for possibilities to establish a Nordic cooperation within educational research data management and open access.

12. EU and NordForsk
Education for Tomorrow provides a good platform to enhance the cooperation between research and implementation into policy on both a national, Nordic and international level.
DG Research and Innovation and DG Education and Culture
Memorandum of Understanding and the Joint Statement with Science Europe, League of European Research Universities (LERU), European University Association (EUA) and the European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO).
Participated in consultations to develop ERA and the educational policies in Europe.

13. OECD and NordForsk
Use existing arenas to disseminate and reach the policymakers. Within OECD there are various possibilities to disseminate the programme and its results.
The Education Policy Committee (under the Directorate for Education and Skills)
Make a presentation of the programme and its results on one of the bi-annual meetings in the committee
Disseminate the results through OECD publications.

14. Thank you for your attention!